Thread: Parts of the razor blade

I have been shaving on and off for a few months with my straights. I've started with a shavette and moved on to a whipped dog. My question is for a closer shave should I be using certain parts of the blade for either certain sections of the face or even the 3 different passes?
thanks for any help!

As long as the whole length of the blade is sharp, it doesn't matter. Detail work is probably best accomplished by the toe.

Originally Posted by ace

As long as the whole length of the blade is sharp, it doesn't matter. Detail work is probably best accomplished by the toe.

I seem to have my most difficulty with my atg pass. It seems to skip over the short srubble thats left. Recently i had a little luck with the toe of the blade for this.

I am new to straight shaving, but I find that the more I shave, the more of the blade I use.

With confidence comes comfort. Just do what feels right and push your limits ever so slightly once in a while...do not try radical changes.

I make a concerted effort to use all areas of the edge during a shave.

As long as the razor is properly honed it shouldn't matter what part ot the edge you use, but the different areas of your face might be easier to shave using the toe or heel, you just have to try different approaches and and angles to see what works best for you.

I was told by a few guys who used spike points..detail work is best on these..I have a spike point..dont REALLY notice it getting into spots any closer than lets say a barbers notch/french point..round tends to miss more spots than the other end types IMO

Lets not forget that you should be stretching the skin. For instance if your Hair grows downward you should be stretching the skin upward to raise the hair. Doing this will help give you a closer shave.

Originally Posted by smalltank

I was told by a few guys who used spike points..detail work is best on these..I have a spike point..dont REALLY notice it getting into spots any closer than lets say a barbers notch/french point..round tends to miss more spots than the other end types IMO

Right...I think many will assign the term "spike" to anything that has an angular toe.

Square/French/notched/spike...they all have a fairly obtuse intersection between the edge and the toe end of the razor, and all will gouge the careless user like a spike.

The French point on my wacker is great for detail spots, but on round tips I have more control with the heel